


Trust and Time

by Crazy_luna



Series: Owari Magica [70]
Category: Owari Magica
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:48:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_luna/pseuds/Crazy_luna
Summary: Vondila and Percy bond over a spar
Series: Owari Magica [70]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815574





	Trust and Time

**Author's Note:**

> Percy: 5 exp and 1680 pts  
> Von: 1905 pts

Vondila let the sun beat down on her as she laid out on the sand not far from the sanctuary. The spring weather was nice, so she thought she would soak up some rays and help her mood. She had been dealing the phantom pains for the last three days non-stop and no pain killer worked. It had gone away that morning so Salem had dragged her with her. There was nothing she could do, nothing to enchant, she couldn't help make things with one hand it was all two handed, and a mop was hard with one hand. So she came out here to relax.

Percy had headed to the sanctuary to have a long overdue conversation with Von. He'd been wanting to talk to her for a while, and for the first time, it seemed feasible. Especially when he saw her laying in the sand. He ends up sitting down a bit away from her, sighing and tipping his face up. "So, how's life treating you?"

Vondila looked over to see Percy. She smiled glad to see him "Could be better. I never realized how much stuff needs two hands. You?" She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

He shrugged. "I guess I haven't realized that either. Mostly, I've been getting used to.. well, life after homework. What's on your mind?" He dubbed the back of his neck. The scar on his nose still itched, but he didn't want to scratch it.

Vondila saw the scar on Percy's nose. "We match now." She pointed at her own face scar. Her's was coming top down well Percy's looked like it came from the side. "Had to get out today but there's nothing to enchant. I was thinking of practicing with spades deck." She hadn't touched a deck of cards since she lost her arm. She didn't want to but she had to, it was one of her weapons.

Percy snorted at the comment of matching. He still remembered how his first thought upon seeing it was about Von, and reassuring himself that he could still be attractive with it. "I'm still getting used to it. But... I like matching. You're a good person to match with."

Vondila smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. And once the itching goes away it wont be noticeable." She didn't like that Percy was scared but it happened. She was more worried about Ana. Salem had told her what Percy had told her.

He laughed. "Yeah, ah... Probably. Do you think anyone's going to think it's weird? It feels like I'm going to have to get used to it, and everyone else is going to... have words to say about it. Even if it's less noticeable, it's still a big scar over my nose."

Vondila perused her lips. "Well Nessa will be upset. The others I'm not sure about." She shrugged. "As long as it's not taking anything away scars don't take long to get used to." She looked at Percy. "Just protect your eyes. Losing an arm is bad but you don't understand how long it takes to learn how to function without depth perception. I ran into so much stuff and I need to focus so hard when I want to give a high five or fist bump." She rambled on. "It sucks!" She flopped back into the sand.

Percy couldn't help snorting again. "I'm sorry, chief." He moved so that he could lay down next to her, a bit more gingerly. He might have been a bit sore from his fight with Ana, still. "But, about that, Salem mentioned you'd been having problems getting used to it, and I noticed you've been using your wand a lot more."

Vondila snorted, of course her twin told the other fighter what was wrong. "Yeah the wand is a lot easier to use then a deck of cards." She was annoyed at her twin but knew she did this because she cared.

He could see a twinge on her face, scooting through the sand and bumping her shoulder with his own. "Hey, I've been asking her about you for a while. I was really wanting to have a conversation with you, just the two of us, but kept missing you. Me bugging you was a long time coming, Von."

Vondila snorted. "How long is a long time?" She asked, wanting to know how long the other wanted to talk to her. "Cause you could have talked to me sooner."

"A... month or two?" He laughed once, shaking his head. "I wasn't trying to avoid you. I wanted to talk to you and to Salem since I got Bella's note, and then again when I put the pieces together about witches. And I tried to run into you, but I kept getting Salem instead, and then..." He glanced at her arm. "Things were busy for a while. So I get points for trying, right?"

Vondila shivered at the vague mention of that witch battle. "You get points." She sat up again to look at the other better. "So what do you wanna talk about?"

"Well, uh." His mind had kind of blanked. They'd been over the witches thing, they'd been over the soul gems being their soul thing, they'd been over the plans concerning Belladonna with Nessa and Ana, and the only thing left was... well, the 'future'. He nodded. "We kinda talked about most of it already. But Salem mentioned something last time I talked to her. Career magi?"

Vondila grinned at that. "I'm shocked she told you, she tries to stop magi from becoming careers." That was easy to talk about. "Well what do you want to know?" She needed to know what Percy knew and didn't know, she trusted her sister but after her not telling everyone about soul gems being souls she was a little worried what else her twin missed.

"Well," He stretched, not minding how the sand felt under his limbs, or that it was probably in his hair. "How does it actually work? She mentioned that career magi quit school and get paid for magi work. Does that mean I get to help out more, be more... reliable?" He had trouble finding the right words. He still felt the new moves and strength thrumming in his fingertips. He was doing his best to be a good magi, and to be strong, and if this would help, he wouldn't abandon the opportunity.

Vondila nodded. "Quit school and patrol more around to find witches. Most can't be taken on their own but some can." She explained. "Before this-" She waved her nubben. "-I would hunt a lot by myself looking for a witch that was weak and kill it on my own. They're not common but they are useful, we constantly need more grief seeds for things in the sanctuary." She explained- so many products used the seeds. "Also help out with other tasks like the record keeping and man the shop so Salem can get supplies or have a life. And when you reach vet level you can enchant things." She did all these tasks but unlike the last few career magi she didn't get paid. She lived with her sister after all. "And did she mention she pays you for all of it? And like it's a lot twenty-five dollars an hour in the shop and hundred dollars per grief seed you give her. Though she might bring that up more." She shrugged at that.

All of it was sounding better and better. He thought back to his first witch, when Ana blacked out, and to Prometheus, when Von lost her arm. "So it would give me more practice and I'd be stronger? Better able to protect everyone." He nodded. "And I don't mind helping Salem, I do that already. That pay doesn't hurt either..." He looked at her. "Basically, I leave school and put more focus on what actually matters."

"That's right. It's not like math will be helpful with a witch." Vondila joked. "That doesn't mean learning stops. Career magi get to learn almost everything when a magi becomes a vet. But the only thing that wasn't told you know already." She stretched out a bit. "And because you're a fighter you won't be able to enchant till you become a vet."

He nodded. "Math only really helps me calm down, it's not useful for much else." He sighed. "And I can live without enchanting stuff, the only 'magic' I can do is sealing enemies, and that's all I really need." Percy looked at her. "Is there anything else that I need to know, or that changes?"

Vondila hummed for a second then remembered something. "A word of warning things might not go well with your parents with dropping out of school." She rubbed the back of her neck. "If you need help with that just tell us and Salem can get you your own place." She knew her twin wanted to buy a house for all the wayward magi to live in but Von wasn't sure about it.

Percy bit his lip. Things had already been rocky... for a while. "I think... As long as I finish this year out, and maybe even actually talk to them, they'll understand. My dad will. My mom... she needs her own space. She's gotten almost as bad as I did, but in an adult way. I hate thinking about her and thinking about myself as the same, but we always have been similar. And she turned to drowning all her sorrows, I couldn't sleep much. Moving out could help, and it would mean I wouldn't have to worry about my stupid decisions getting Sierra kicked out."

Vondila forgot that Sierra was living with Percy. "Alright but be careful what you tell them. I've seen magi get sent away for telling their parents what happened." She sighed a little.

"I won't tell them about magi, but about dropping out, working with a friend, it might be enough. That's all I can do, right?"

Vondila nodded. "Yeah it is." She stood up and stretched. She needed to do something but didn't feel useful in the shop. Maybe some aiming practice? Or working with Spade's deck? She didn't want to but needed to.

Percy sighed and admired the beach as he stood to match. "There was one other thing I wanted to do, Von."

Vondila cocked her eyebrow. "Oh and what's that?" He wanted to do something not ask something. That was weird but whatever.

He grinned at her. "Spar with me. C'mon, it'll be fun."

Vondila laughed, that's not something she's heard in a long while. "You do realize that I'm a lot stronger than you, right?" She asked.

"You're stronger," he transformed with a half step closer to her, knuckle guards sliding into place on his fists. "But I'm not the rusty one here."

Vondila liked that cocky attitude from Percy. She pulled out her soul gem from her hair and pressed it below her neck and transformed with a bow. "Big words from the cryptic." She looked up at him and she pulled out her spade's deck from behind her back, might as well get some practice with it.

Percy shrugged, letting the spikes on his gauntlets shrink and soften until his weapons were more of a hard caramel texture than before. Where they were sturdy and hard hitting usually, now they were soft and would shatter or hit easier. He didn't trust himself not to accidentally go all out like with Ana, but he still wanted this.  
"Yeah?" He hopped, feeling the sand on his sandals and golden bandage-covered feet. "C'mon, I only back the words up with a big game, Von."

Vondila beamed and spread out her cards. "Alright then." She ran at Percy but was unable to hit the boy and was off balance. Shit she really needed to work on this.  
(7 to hit)

Percy used his now-softened knuckle guards to land a punch on the girl's stomach, hoping to knock her back a pace and back on balance. "Just remember, if you need to stop, let me know!"  
(16+5 to hit, 7 dmg)

Vondila felt the pain but didn't mind. "Oh don't worry about me Percy." She went to slice with her cards but missed again. She really was rusty with her cards.  
(2 to hit)  
HEALTH: Vondila 78HP, Percy 60HP

Percy tossed another punch. "Don't get too down, Von. We've got this, right?"  
(10+5 to hit, 6 dmg)

Vondila gritted her teeth mad at her own body for not working how it should. She lunged forward and was able to get a hit on Percy. "I got this." She smiled.  
(15 to hit, 3dmg)  
HEALTH: Vondila 72HP, Percy 57HP

Percy laughed, grabbing Von and shoving her back again. "Yeah? You got this? Good!"  
(7+5 to hit, 4 dmg)

Vondila tried to lunge forward but tripped up on the sand. "Shit."  
(2 to hit)  
HEALTH: Vondila 68HP, Percy 57HP

Percy tried to throw another punch but slipped on the sand himself, yelping. He suddenly remembered his first beach fight, wrinkling his nose.  
(4 to hit)

Vondila went to hit again but slid on the sand. "Sand is a terrible terrain to fight on." She joked.  
(10 to hit)

HEALTH: Vondila 68HP, Percy 57HP

Percy tripped again, this time landing in the sand. He took a minute to get up, letting the knuckle guards melt off his fists and shaking them out. "But doesn't it teach us the best?"

Vondila took Percy's moment to shake out his hands as a chance to attack. "Of course it does. A witch's labyrinth could be anything!" She punctuated her comment by slicing Percy with her cards.  
(14 to hit, 5dmg)

HEALTH: Vondila 68HP, Percy 52HP

Percy brought his fists up to cover his face, then, without thinking, attempted to elbow her. It went as well as expected, and didn't land. "Have you ever fought a beach witch?"

Vondila tried to hit him with her cards but missed. "Ya back in my first year. It was a pain, not really sand but all the beach toys and water." She hated that witch it was annoying more than anything.  
(10 to hit)

HEALTH: Vondila 68HP, Percy 52HP

Percy formed his pillow-mint mace and braced himself enough to slam it into Von's stomach. More damage than he meant, but enough to pack a punch. After it landed, he blew out a breath. That was too much speed, he needed to dial it back down. "What was your favorite witch to fight?"  
(d20 to hit + 3x2 dmg)

Vondila stumbled back from the hit, it wasn't painful but was powerful. "Favorite? I don't know I never thought of it." She went to attack but slid in the sand more.  
(2 to hit)

HEALTH: Vondila 62HP, Percy 52HP

Percy used the mace for another hit, laughing once. "Really? Slime witch was my favorite."  
(10 to hit, 6 dmg)

Vondila looked at Percy and rolled her eyes. "Of course it was." She went to attack but missed. "It took a week to get that slime out of my hair!" She cried.  
(4 to hit)  
HEALTH: Vondila 56hp, Percy 52HP

"Same! That doesn't mean it wasn't fun." He shook his head and traded hands on his weapon before he got in another good hit. "That doesn't mean it wasn't a good memory."  
(17 to hit, 8 dmg)

Vondila smiled, he was right. "True." She got in close and was able to get a hit in. "It does mean when I think of you the first thing is slime."  
(19 to hit, 4dmg)  
HEALTH: Vondila 48hp, Percy 48hp

Percy twisted in the sand, getting another hit in himself. "Think of anything else, Von?"  
(16 to hit, 4dmg)

Vondila took the impact. "Once I get past slime angel. Heavy hitter, gamer, cryptic, you know the staples." She went in for another attack but once again missed. She was ready to drop spade's deck and pull out spade's wand.  
(3 to hit)  
HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, 48hp

Percy hummed and stood still for a minute, thinking about that. Heavy hitter. Gamer. Cryptid. He hit hard, he played around, and he was never there. He beckoned to her. "C'mon, free shot. Hit me, chief."

Vondila bit her lip and went to hit but lost her footing a bit and stumbled. "My stupid arm!!! I'm off balance!!"  
(10 to hit)  
HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, Percy 48hp

"C'mon, don't get stressed. You've got this, Von!" He braced himself in the sand. "Try again. I don't think me hitting you over and over again with the pillow-mace is gonna help you much."

Vondila she shook her head. She can do this she's a vet for fuck sakes. She was able to jump and slice Percy with the cards. "Yes!"  
(18 to hit, 3dmg)  
HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, Percy 45hp

Percy laughed and nodded. "Good! Again!"

Vondila went to hit Percy again but slipped in the sand. She growled in frustration and threw a card at the but missed. "Oh come on you're not even moving!"  
(7 to hit, 9 to hit)  
HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, Percy 45hp

"Just keep your cool! There's no rush, Von. You've got this, you're the strongest person I know!" Percy urged, dropping his mace entirely.

Vondila snorted in annoyance. She should be giving that sort of pep talk. She jumped forward again not wanting to deal with the sand. She was able to get a hit on him again.  
(12 to hit, 3dmg)

HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, Percy 42hp

Percy winced and activated his shield. "If you hit me three more times, we'll call it there, okay? I'm not trying to be patronizing, I promise."

"Not being patronizing as you activate a shield?" Vondila joked. "Fine." She went at him again but missed. She slipped a card so it was slicking out more than the others and threw it at Percy hitting him.  
(6 to hit, 16 to hit, 1dmg)

HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, Percy 42 + 24hp

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I'm not trying to be rude. Thought you could go all out if you wanted, hm?"

"If I wanted to go all out I would whip my wand out and hit you with tro finally." Vondila said flatly. She went to hit him again with her cards but missed. Once again she let a card slip out more than the others and threw it at Percy with magic behind it. "Hows that for all out!"  
(5 to hit, nat 20, 6x3=18dmg)

HEALTH: Vondila 44hp, Percy 42 + 6hp

Percy went down on one knee behind the shield, the breath taken out of him even if he wasn't hurt by it. After a second he levels a grin at her, dropping the shield and stepping up to her.  
"One more."

Vondila smirked. "How's that for all out?" She groaned what he said one more. "Fine." She went to hit him again but was unable to. She went to throw a card again but it didn't go flying till the end of her swing and sliced her leg. "Fuck!!"  
(3 to hit, nat 1 1DMG)

HEALTH: Vondila 43hp, Percy 42hp

Percy's eyes widened and he grabbed her shoulders to steady her, his transformation dissolving. "Fuck- fine, I'm sorry. I'll take the hint. Do you want to sit down?"

Vondila sighed and dropped her transformation and caught her soul gem as she fell into the sand. "Fuuuck." She was so annoyed by this. "Do you think you can put this back in my braid?" She held out her soul gem that was now shaped as a scrunchie.

Percy settled down in the sand next to her, fixing her braid for her. As he did, he sighed. "Do you feel any better?"

"No." Vondila grumbled and then sighed. "Yes. Annoyed as all hell. But feel better."

He nodded, looking down at her still. This was probably the closest he'd been to her since she lost her arm, when he wrapped his cape around her and tasked Eva with getting her out of the labyrinth. He took a deep breath of the salty air and looked around. "Do you trust me?"

Vondila looked at him confused. "If I didn't trust you you would know." She laughed a little.

He nodded. "I promised Salem that I'd protect you, and I couldn't. I don't want to break a promise like that, ever again. On the other hand, I know that... I can't control everything. I can have my irons in the fire, but I can't be sure that they'll be the right ones. I'm not sure what the point is... I just guess I needed to hear it. I'm sorry about what happened, but thank you for trusting me."

Vondila listened to Percy. Salem asked him to protect her? That sounds like her twin. She shrugged. "I know this is all hard but don't blame yourself for what Belladona did." She rested her hand on Percy's shoulder. "Your welcome Percy. I just hope you trust me too." Her voice faded out, she felt less like a leader since she lost her arm, but she'll get through it.

Percy found her hand and squeezed it gently. "I do, Von. You're like a big sister to me. I trust you."

Vondila smiled and squeezed back. "Thank you Percy. Thank you.'" 


End file.
